


Royal Hair Ticket

by Hertz



Category: MapleStory
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:00:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24353980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hertz/pseuds/Hertz
Summary: Aran decides to style Shade’s hair for him. Too bad she has no taste.
Relationships: Shade & Aran
Kudos: 11





	Royal Hair Ticket

Aran gritted her teeth as Shade pulled her in again using his ethereal spirit scythe. She managed to dodge to the right, his claws missing her by an inch. Aran swung her polearm, feinting left and slamming Maha into Shade's side when he took the bait.

Shade crashed into the wooden wall of their training area, wincing. He took a moment to brush the long black hair out of his eyes, but a moment was all Aran needed - she fired a blast of energy at Shade. Unable to deflect, Shade dropped to his knees, coughing.

Aran paused, hands still on her weapon. "Need a break?"

"Yes… probably. I'm still not on the level of a mighty warrior like you."

Aran tossed him a bottle of water that Shade managed to catch. Watching him drink, she asked, "Why don't you tie up your hair? It just gets in the way."

Shade smiled in a self-deprecating manner. "The instant it becomes a liability is when I'm already compromised anyway. It's only long at the back. The front's short so I can see."

"But it can't hurt to get rid of all disadvantages." 

Slowly a smile spread across Aran's tan features, and though she wasn't holding her weapon anymore Shade seemed to flatten himself against the wall upon her slow approach.

"What are you planning?" Shade asked warily, his violet eyes wide in horror as she flexed her hands menacingly.

* * *

"Tada." Aran grinned proudly at her handiwork. Shade stared at the mirror, unamused. His hair was done up in a bushy tail that would make a squirrel proud.

"No," he said flatly.

"You're such a killjoy. Fine, how's this?"

* * *

  
Shade fidgeted in the dressing room seat. "This is just your hairstyle."

"And it's great! Simple, practical, stylish, and lets me whip people in the face when I turn around."

"Well… I mean… that is true, it's just… on me…"

"If you don't like this we can try another," said Aran with a glint in her eye. "This is getting really, really fun."

"You don't, uh, want to play chess or something?" Shade's long-suffering expression could only mean he had accepted his fate.

"I'm not a bookworm like Freud, Shade, I'm a warrior, and we're gonna do things my way."

* * *

  
This time Shade's lips formed a decidedly childish pout to match the pigtails perched high on his head.

"This is terrible," said Shade, politely ignoring Aran who was collapsing in laughter at the corner of the room.

"No - it - isn't," Aran said between gasps of laughter, pounding the floor. "You look so… so cute!"

"Aran, come on," Shade said pleadingly, a bright flush across his face as he hurriedly undid one of the pigtails. 

Unfortunately, having half his hair down and the other half up was a sight that made Aran laugh further. Shade sighed, covering his face with his hands, refusing to look at himself in the mirror.

* * *

Aran couldn't resist patting Shade's twin buns as if they were real pastries or the like. Shade, despite himself, was trying very hard not to smile at Aran's ridiculous antics.

"It's going to come undone if you keep doing that," Shade finally said.

"Ah well, things happen," Aran replied, now too busy slamming her hands down as if the buns were drums. "How's this?"

"I can't imagine myself with these for long. They're way too classy for a pirate like me, and besides, you're giving me an awful headache."

"Alright, alright." Aran laughed and put Shade's hair down again. "I'll get back to business… hey, wait, why are we doing this again?"

Shade sighed in amusement.

* * *

  
A long braid trailed down Shade's back. Shade ran a hand across it, draping it over his shoulder. 

“How’s this one?”

Shade twisted his fingers in the unbound strands at the end of his braid. "I must say after so long I'm starting to see your point. It does feel less messy."

"Is that a roundabout way of saying you like this one?"

"It’s better than those pigtails.” Shade scowled. “However, this will take me a long time to do in the morning.”

“That’s true,” Aran realised. She paused to think. “Then perhaps we should do something about your bangs.”

“Aran - no- ”

* * *

Shade rolled his eyes as glittery stars and moon hairpins dotted his black hair, going all the way from his forehead down the entire length of the braid. “Aran…”

“Just one more,” Aran insisted, placing a pink comet behind one of the moons. “Perfect.”

“I didn’t even know you had this many accessories.”

“A warrior never reveals her secrets.”

“I’m starting to think I should just shave myself bald,” Shade said, miming a scissor motion.

“No, don’t. It’s pretty like this,” Aran protested.

Shade shrugged playfully. “You’re right. I’ve kept my hair long since I was a child roaming the streets, anyway. Come to think of it, I’ve kept it in the same style for that long. Maybe that’s why none of these new styles feel right to me.”

“So you mean to tell me you’ve been hunting monsters since you were a child with hair that unruly?” Aran whistled. “Honestly, that’s impressive.”

“It’s nothing,” Shade said, embarrassed, scratching his cheek. “With no family and clan, I had to learn how to fend for myself. On the streets, in the fields, and across the seas. It’s more impressive that you outclass me.”

“Awww, you flatterer.” Aran leaned forward and started unclipping the hairpins. “Maybe if that’s the case, you shouldn’t change your hair at all. It’s clearly important to you.”

“That’s a surprise. I was just starting to get used to styling it, too,” Shade teased back.

Aran’s eyes glinted in mischief. “So what you’re saying is you want me to find even more styles for you?”

“Hm. On second thought…”


End file.
